Cieux Verts
by Wyntermajik
Summary: She wondered what it would be like to have power like Superman… To save them all… Or, at the very least, to save someone. [SeverusLily][Deathly Hallows Spoilers!]
1. Désir

**EXTREME SPOILERS FOR DEATHLY HALLOWS! THIS IS YOUR WARNING!**

**Disclaimer: **Harry Potter and all things associated with it are owned by JK Rowling. The only thing I own is this laptop and my little brother. :D

**Story Notes** _(Not necessary to read, but it would probably help you understand_)

For years I have been an avid James/Lily fan. If there was ever a fictional character I wanted to be like, it was Lily Evans and if there was ever a fictional character that I could never get enough of, it was James Potter. Needless to say, I've been addicted to James/Lily fics, fanart, fanmixes and everything else involving my OTP. However just before the arrival of Deathly Hallows, I stumbled across a brilliant piece of fanart that made me wonder just what it'd be like for the "mudblood" and the "half-blood" to have a little show of their own. It seems I was behind in my wondering because so many had already put together pieces I had hardly paid attention to and not a week later came b **CANON**!Severus/Lily. _Ahhhhhh_! What a way to make me feel like an idiot. But, not to worry! I sat down just after I finished the book and said, "Well, I do believe a tragic love story needs to be written!" So, I present you with _my_ idea of Severus and Lily's tragic love story in honor of JK's disregard for my very sensitive feelings (I am only kidding. I did love Deathly Hallows, I just wanted more!).

Each chapter will be dived into 4 parts which will represent the four seasons of the year. There will be a grand total of 8 chapters including the chapter that you are reading now. Some chapters will be cut to fit the needs of future chapters though un-cut chapters will be available if demand is high enough. Don't fret; I'm a very caring person who loves to share so all will come out i _somewhere_, if not here.

**Never ending thanks to:**

Meg for helping me with the French and for just being a really good friend. Her support and company was the only way I would have gone through with this.

Britton for keeping me occupied during my dry spells and for listening to my rants and raves about everything non-important in the world. I would have gone crazy without you. Thanks for helping me get through this and I hope you get back from your trip soon. We have a lot of time to make up for. (:

Sky for letting me know that if you can read, you can write which really gave me the power to try this out. [:

Jordan for being my thesaurus and for giving me the knowledge to write the emotion of regret and actually understand it.

Morgan for being so supportive of me since before we were even friends. Her never-ending support in my numerous writing projects has given me the confidence necessary to keep trying. She's even the reason I've changed my career choices. Thanks so much, Morgan. 3

Now, without future ado, I present you with Cieux Verts.

* * *

[ **C i e u x . V e r t s **

_Green Skies_

-----

**Chapter One**

Désir

* * *

**Hiver**  
----- 

The road was pitifully empty in comparison to the way it had been filled just days before. It almost seemed as if the citizens of the city had followed the unwavering reporter's demand of staying off of the icy road without a reason of great importance. "If you're wife goes into labor, tell her she needs to give birth in the house!," the same reporter had said jokingly while advising his listeners of the dangers of the black-ice and freezing temperatures. The wind hardly whistled when it sweep up the pure white snow from the children's playground and sent it fluttering skyward with grace, a sure sign that strange weather was visiting.

In fact, it seemed as if the only thing alive was that mouse-like man on the screen of the television. The matching houses along the street were practically silent inside; their occupants tired from the previous night's New Year's festivities and bundled from head to foot to avoid that cold that seemed to seep in through every nook and cranny of the windows and walls. However, inside one house, the pale blue curtains of the living room window were slowly pushed to the side to reveal the face of a petite woman who's caramel hair was piled daintily atop her head. Her almond-shaped eyes scanned the ice-laden street worriedly for a moment before letting the curtains flutter closed as she turned back to glace at the balding man on the television screen.

"Nigel," she announced, looking at her husband, "I don't see them out there. Perhaps you should go 'round the corner and call them back."

The short man relaxing in his armchair lifted a finger to scratch his graying temple. "They'll be back, Colleen," he replied tiredly.

She moved to glance once more out of the window at the drifting snow and deserted street before letting the curtain fall closed with a whispered sigh.

-----

Unknowing of their worried mother's despair, two girls trudged slowly through the icy underbrush of a nearby forest. The snow crunched loudly under their boots, the sound resounding through the frozen air and filling the empty space around them. They skidded over the planes of black-ice and sloshed through the muddy puddles around the thick tree trunks that they held to for balance.

Through her labored breathing, the elder of the two found breath enough to screech, "There, Lily! Spinner's End is just past those bushes!"

Her companion swallowed thickly, the cold air making her throat constrict with every heave of her small chest and the bitter wind sending her ginger hair fluttering behind her, "Spinner's End? We're close to home, then!"

"Of course," said the older as she yanked her wool hat tighter over her ears and set off at a march through the trees. Twigs and leaves snagged her clothing and a tear in her royal blue jumper was made as she tore away from the bushes blocking her entrance to the street. Turning back, she reached out her gloved hand to help pull her smaller sister from between the branches she'd gotten caught in. Tugging harshly, she let squealed when she and her sister tumbled to the ground, finally free from their forest prison.

Instantly, boney hands were pushing the younger girl off with determination, "Get off of me, Lily!"

Lily struggled to get up and found herself heaving a great sigh when she finally managed to find stability on her feet. Her bright green eyes peered into the snowy woods once more before turning back to face her sister, who was huffing as she brushed snow off her of her back and pulled twigs from her jumper. "Who's idea," the older girl began, "was it to come out here, again?"

Lily, the younger sister, smiled sweetly, "_Yours_, Tuney."

Glaring at her ginger-haired sister, Petunia took off down the lubricious street with only a call of "Hurry up, Lily!" before she marched on. Lily trailed quickly after her, sliding dangerously over the solid snow before falling into step with her taller sister.

Spinner's End was a long street, beginning at the neighborhood park and ending at the gate leading to a murky river below. While their street was lined with pastel-colored homes and puffing chimney stacks, Spinner's End seemed to be lined with nothing but dilapidated homes of chipping brick and ever-brown lawns. Screen doors hung limply off their hinges and curtains of dark blues, greens and reds never shifted to allow light into the room they protected.

The sight of the mud-covered children's toys and weed-strewn gardens made Lily mildly uncomfortable. In the near-ten years of her life, she'd never walked so brazenly down Spinner's End nor had she ever had a reason to step onto Spinner's End at all. To creep along the street while hidden in the darkness of the forest was one thing, but to be in open view was an entirely different story that she'd prefer to not write. For a moment, she contemplated asking Petunia if they could re-enter the forest and walk along the outskirts until they reached the playground.

For a moment, her concentration slipped and with it went her pale purple snow boot against a thick patch of black-ice.

Her face was frozen by the sudden wind and her hair whipped behind her as fragile body collapsed against the wind, speeding straight down to face the ice she had slipped on. Attempted to break her fall, thin arms shot out ahead of her while almond-shaped green eyes slammed closed. She waited there -breathing heavily with her eyes clutched closed- for the brutal, painful impact to come.

It never did.

Revealing green, almond-shaped eyes slowly, she saw that her outstretched hands hovered inches above the ground, saving her from the violent impact she had been expecting. As suddenly as she realized it, a sharp gasp was heard to her left. Turning, she caught a glimpse of a single dark eye surrounded by stringy black hair. The boy was wearing a shirt that was barely there and a coat that seemed to have very little to it. Not nearly enough clothing for the freezing temperatures outside.

Blinking, Lily felt herself lower slowly to the ground before rising on her hands and knees. She pivoted, aiming to crawl closer to the dark boy who suddenly found himself struggling to fit behind a single, leafless bush in a snow-covered lawn but a boney hand caught her upper arm and heaved her up quickly with a shout of, "Hurry, Lily! It's cold!"

Green eyes stared questionably at the boy as her sister pulled her by the elbow down down Spinner's End. Glancing back, she saw no sight of the dark-eyed boy of the bush he'd hidden behind and as Petunia led her around the corner and off of Spinner's End, she lost sight of the street completely and wondered, silently, if she hadn't just imagined him…

-----

Her green eyes were sharp, bright and confused as she looked at her floating hands. Shivering from head to toe, a small dark-haired boy gasped at the sight of her magic. He stared at her, mesmerized by her ability and hardly noticing that she had caught sight of him and was watching him just as intently. When he finally did catch on, he shuffled quickly back behind the bush that had appeared just moments before he arrived outside. His fingers were turning blue and his shivering was beyond control but her eyes held no pity as she examined his overlong hair, ratty coat and stained white shirt.

For a single second, their eyes caught and the thin boy saw nothing but wonder in those evergreen eyes -wonder and an emotion he'd never before seen reflect back at him from the eyes of another.

He fought the urge to crawl out from his hiding space when her arm was grabbed by the pointy-looking girl she had been walking with. Shocked and scared that the elder would see him, he rose quickly while the two girls were busy and cowered back inside. The hesitation she showed when noticing the lost bush and his missing form was warming and he watched her deep red hair swing back and forth against her thick purple coat as the dark-haired girl tugged her around the corner towards the park from his dirty glass of the living room window.

He smiled minutely at their retreating forms.

"Severus!" Shocked, he let the tattered curtain fall away from his hand and turned sharply to face his mother. The dust sweeping from the old material revolved around his head causing his chest to constrict tightly before he let out a loud sneeze. Her lips suddenly pursed and her eyes lowered to look meaningfully at his blue hands before spotting his runny nose, "Were you outside?"

He nodded once, curt and mature and her face softened, "Come to the kitchen and get something warm in you. I don't need you getting sick."

His dark eyes looked at her, examined the green and yellow splotches on her cheek and the healing split on her lip. Love was dangerous and vicious, he thought, remembering how those same split lips had told him that love was what kept her there, beaten and bruised as she was.

Nodding again, he folded his cold hand between hers and let her lead him into the kitchen. The quiet was nice but he missed the voice of the charming red-head already…

**Printemps  
-----**

Everything in Spring reminded him of those glowing green eyes. As the green grass finally peeked out from beneath the thick layers of snow and as stems of the spring flowers crept out from beneath wet mulch, a dark young boy found himself wandering down Spinner's End with no set destination, only a hope and prayer of spotting a patch of bright red hair or the tail-end of a pale purple shirt. With all the purple she'd been wearing that day, he'd assumed it was her favorite color or that she at least wore it often.

He was wrong about the purple, he realized later that day as he crouched behind a dark green bush that poked his skinny ribs and left leaves in his oily black hair. She was swinging on the bright blue swing set of the neighborhood park, her red hair pulled to the side in a messy ponytail. It hung over her shoulder, bouncing with each strong trust of her legs and again during each quick sail back down. Her t-shirt was pale green with an image of three young girls in leopard-print leotards playing with tools he knew nothing of. Their smiles seemed too bright, their bodies too small and their clothing too strange. He wondered if they were from that strange box the muggles stared at so often. He saw the box once while he visited with his grandma Snape. She was old by then; nothing but wrinkles and mumbled words that sounded as though a bullfrog was saying them. Nevertheless, he remembered her as a nice woman who gave him never-ending plates of sweet biscuits and let him watch the box while she rested her eyes.

The ginger-haired girl was giggling madly as she soared ever-closer to the endless blue sky while her sister smiled wistfully beside her. The two were stark in contrast to each other. The older of the two was plain with common brown hair and dull blue eyes. Her structure was boney; all sharp angles and no curves. Her sister, however, was painfully Irish. Her red hair glowed like bright flames in the waving rays of sunlight and her eyes were the color of verdant grass and the leaves of evergreen trees. She was curvy, comfortable while still not being slim. Every rise of her lips revealed a string of pearl-white teeth and strong cheekbones that rose like country hills against the flat plains of her face.

Glancing down at her old sister Lily called, "I wonder what would happen if I jumped off from way up here!"

Petunia, kicking her legs to get her closer to the sky once more, shook her head jerkily, "You'll hurt yourself, that's what!"

Severus watched awe-struck as Lily's bright white sneakers gave the air an especially hard kick before soaring closer to the clouds with the body of the young girl they occupied. Lily's hair flew upwards with her body as she leapt off the swing at the height of its adventure. His dark eyes waited for her to come crashing down only to land in a heap against the mulch of the park. However, he only witnessed her flight through the air, defying gravity as she soared further than she should have and then landing on her butt with only a grunt of discomfort.

Petunia shrieked in shock, hopping of the worn blue swing and running to crouch beside her sister, "I said _not_ to!"

"So?" questioned Lily, rising to dust the gritty mulch that had found refuge on the backseat of her shorts, "I'm fine, Tuney."

"I'm telling mummy," replied the elder as she pursed her lips.

Green eyes widened slightly, "Please, don't! I'll do your chores or _anything_, Tuney! Don't tell mummy, she'll be so angry!"

Pushing a loose lock of greasy black hair away from his face, Severus scowled at the boney sister, loathing the little smile that had crossed her face. Her dull blue eyes were swirling with excitement at the word 'anything'.

"You'll teach me how to fly like you did, then?" she finally questioned. Her eyes looked excited, in rapture with the idea that she could fly as her sister had. However, the young boy knew better. This girl, this muggle, wouldn't be able to 'fly' as her sister had and for a moment Severus thought of standing up, calling out and warning her that they were far from the same, that she couldn't do what her sister had done. The idea fled as quickly as it had come when the memory of that same muggle's boney hand gripping her sister's arm hard enough to make her knuckles turn stark white and yanking her up off the ground away from him resurfaced. Something inside him wanted her to crumple; to jump thinking she was going to achieve the impossible only to end up in a crumbled heap on the hard ground.

That would wipe that hungry look out of those big round eyes of hers.

Lily's eyes, almond-shaped and natural, looked momentarily confused as she eyed the swing set. "I don't know how I did it, Tuney," she muttered despondently before glancing at her sister wearily, "It just kind of…happened. One minute, I felt myself falling and then… I do''t know, Tuney. I just…_floated_."

"That wasn't floating," Petunia replied unflinchingly, "that was _flying_ and people don't just _fly _on accident."

"But, I-" Lily tried to explain.

"-Fine, be greedy!" Petunia interrupted, jealousy overpowering any sort of anger that existed and causing bitter tears to rise to her eyes, "I didn't want to fly anyway!" She turned sharply and stomped away, her short brown hair stiff to her egg-shaped head. Only when she reached the gate of the playground did she stop to look over and call, "And I'm telling mummy you weren't listening, too!"

Severus watched Lily's red hair reflect bright light as she chased after her sister, almost tripping on the gravel of the walkway and having to grab hold of the wrought-iron gates to the neighborhood behind it to save herself from toppling down the concrete stairs. Muggles, he decided as her calls faded to be conquered by the sickeningly cheerful calls of young children with bright hair and pastel-colored shirts were not worth the trouble necessary to stay friends.

Then again, he thought, he couldn't really know if the trouble was worth it, could he?

**Été  
-----**

The roads were empty again, just as they had been that evening in late December when the mouse-like man had called out to all those who were watching and told them to stay inside. In fact, he was on the telly now, waving his chubby finger at a patch of dark red and reminding everyone of the water restrictions currently in place. They'd been in effect for weeks now though no one really minded the browning grass or the wilting garden flowers. Bright blue hydrangeas had quickly become crimpled and brown from the humidity. Even the air, dry and staggering, seemed to be suffering from the uneclipsed heat.

Lily and Petunia didn't come outside anymore. They'd ventured out into the park once before the drought had been announced. They'd traipsed around the monkey bars, rocked back and forth in the tire swing and rocked tiredly on the swings before heading back towards their home.

He'd followed them, keen eyes peeking around bushes, tree trucks and pallid plants as they marched down their street. Their shadows were dark and small behind them as they rounded yet another corner and began up a concrete walk.

Lined with dying flowers and grass browning under the scorching sun, the house looked almost as gloomy as the girls' red faces. The sweat had watered their brow and soaked the collars of their shirts. It looked unbelievably uncomfortable to be them. Looking down at the smock-like top that covered his chest and at the jeans that clutched the skin above his ankles so tight that the skin had long ago turned red under the pressure, he understood just how they were feeling…

The door was pulled open by an inside source before a woman with kind blue eyes and short caramel appeared with a shout of, "Goodness! Come inside and get something cold in you before you pass out from this heat!"

They'd been lovingly let inside, a comforting arm around each of their shoulders as they stumbled through the doorway and he'd watched Lily's flaming hair slide from view as the door swung closed with a _'click'_.

He'd wandered home, afterwards, having no where else to go and getting dizzy from the heat and lack of proper oxygen. He knew that there he could atleast find a seat to rest in while a cooling charm flooded over his sweating body. He sighed, closing his eyes as he continued the seemingly endless walk towards his home on Spinner's End. A cooling charm sounded just perfect right now…

Their yards looked about the same; brown grass and dead plants though he strongly doubted that the dead plants in the other family's yard had been weeds like these. The door wasn't opened for him as he marched up the walk nor was a gentle arm wrapped around his sweat-soaked shoulder but his mother's call of, "Severus, dear?" was more than enough comfort.

"Yes, mum," he muttered tiredly, trekking slowly into the kitchen on tired legs and with a heavy head.

She glanced at him as he entered and gasped lightly before sticking the spoon she was using to stir her potion aside. She summoned a glass and some water while she guided the young boy to a chair. Pushing the glass into his hands, she shook her head wearily, "Foolish to be out there in the heat like that."

She whispered a quick cooling charm before pulling away to look down at him evenly, "Outside in this heat will not happen again, you understand? Chasing around petty muggle girls and then coming home to have me fix you up won't happen again." He nodded. "Good," she began again, "then head off to bed and rest awhile. You're father will be home soon."

He glanced at the bruise at the rise of her cheek before rising and heading to his room.

"Severus?" He turned to look at her and she smiled just a bit, "she has lovely hair."

He found it hard to rest after that.

-----

Lily's legs were ready to collapse under her weight as by the time she managed to escape her mother's arms and flee into the living room. The cushions were cool and soft as she flopped onto them with a great sigh. The telly was still on, as it had been when she'd left and her father was still reclined in his chair, watching as a large balding man read a report about a young family, ruthlessly murdered in their home.

"You hear that, Lils?" her father asked, turning to look at her, "That's what the worlds come down to; right there."

He lifted his glass of ice water to his lips desultorily, keeping eye and ear on the aging woman with platinum blonde hair who was telling of another vicious murder with disgusting composure. She showed not a single sign of bother by the facts that she was reading off of the prompter: "The young female, aged 21 was murdered first while her equally young husband was forced to watch not only the murder but the rape that had taken place before hand. Police believe the husband was killed moments after his wife in a struggle to get to her. Now, to Allen Solders with sports."

The screen turned black with a 'click' and her father rose slowly from his chair. He ignored her curious look with a quiet, "you look like you could use some cold water."

Pushing his glass into her hand, he wandered out into the hallway moments before the sound of a bedroom door shutting was heard. He did that a lot, she knew. The news would play for hours in their house, his dark brown eyes staring at the screen unblinkingly before he would suddenly shut it off and retreat to his study without a word of warning or explanation. Her mother had once patted her shoulder as proffered support before leaning in close to whisper, "You're father has never liked the idea of not being Superman."

Glancing at the empty hallway, the closed door and the lack of light peering out from under it, she wondered what it would be like to have that power… To save them all.

Or, at the very least, to save someone.

**Automne  
----- **

The only green thing left by the time autumn hit was her eyes. They'd been bright in winter but here, hidden in the shadows of the gold and garnet-colored trees, he could see just how much they shined against the setting sun. The colors in the sky bled like the ink on parchment when joined with water. The hues of blues, reds, purples and oranges saturated the darkening sky and left little room to question the coming nightfall.

Her patience was commendable, he noted, as he watched her wait for her sister. The playground had been abandoned hours ago, children scattering off down the lane with bright smiles and messy clothes to warm meals and affectionate hugs. Petunia had wandered off with an older girl an hour or so before, telling Lily to wait there on the swing set until she came back and not to tell mummy that she'd left.

The red head had eyed her suspiciously before nodding, "You won't be gone long, Tuney?"

The older girl, who was wide with beady eyes and an ever-present scowl, turned to her and said, "Don't worry, _"Tuney"_ and I will be back before you know it."

Petunia had blushed scarlet from her collarbone to her forehead before she trailed off behind the over-sized bully with not a single backwards glance.

Lily had been sitting there, rooted to that single spot, ever since.

Her green eyes eyed the gate longingly. It was obvious that her belief in her sister was stronger than her belief in her stomach which growled thunderously in comparison to the silence in the play park.

Or, perhaps that was his stomach. He could hardly tell, now. It all ran together like the colors in the setting sky which had darkened to a majestic shade of currant and was slowly being overcome by the awakening darkness.

Taking a seat on the swing, Lily pushed her legs back and forth without much care to really move at all. Rocking there, easily back and forth, seemed enough to keep her well occupied until the gate squeaked tiredly and pulled her out of her daze. A swarthy boy with chubby hands, squinty eyes and round glasses watched her from his position just inside the gate.

Lily smiled at him, pearl-white teeth brightening the dimly lit park and said, "Hello."

One of his beefy hands clutched to his over-sized pants while the other rose to the air in greeting. He stumbled up the steps and into the playground, avoiding the swings and moving straight to the sandbox. From there he called, "I'm Nate."

Severus snorted at the ridiculously common muggle name. Lily, however, beemed at the boy, "I'm Lily."

He avoided looking at her. Instead he kept his eye on the bright blue shovel as it pushed sand around. "Lily Evans… You're mother was calling for you and Petunia."

"Was she?" questioned Lily, rising from the swing and walking over to the box he sat in. "I'm waiting for her. My sister, Petunia, I mean. She was supposed to be back by now…"

She was sitting in the box next to him by the time she finished. Their shoulders brushed as she scooped up sand and helped him fill his bucket. The boy never glanced up to look into her emerald eyes or at her long red hair; an extreme waste of precious time and chance, Severus considered it.

For a moment, he wished for nothing more than to make that boy disappear. His selfish anger had been making appearances as regularly as the bruises on his mother's face and arms; which was to say, very regularly.

They filled the bucket together and rose in unison before letting the gate slam behind them as they traveled down the street side by side, his bucket full of sand bumping into her jean-clad legs and Severus could only watch enviously.

The boy came back the next day and again the day after. In a matter of weeks the sand in the box had been drained and the only signs of previous existence were hidden in the beds of Lily's nails  
and in the jealous memories of one Severus Snape.

* * *

**Chapter Notes:**

**Chapter Begun:** July 24th, 2007; 7:46 PM

**Chapter Complete: **July 29th, 2007; 4:13 PM

I thought that a little backstory was needed before we began their meeting and the trip to Hogwarts and all however, it will be coming in the next chapter so do not worry! As I said, the seasons will continue however the length of the chapters will probably vary (Dear God… I think this is the longest thing I've ever written) and become longer with time. So, expect about a week or two between chapters, okay[: 

_Her t-shirt was pale green with a images of three young girls in leopard-print leotards playing with tools he knew nothing of._ - Josie & The Pussycats was a common show in the early 70s.


	2. Fort

**EXTREME SPOILERS FOR DEATHLY HALLOWS! THIS IS YOUR WARNING!**

**Disclaimer:**Harry Potter and all things associated with it are owned by JK Rowling. The only thing I own is this laptop and my little brother. :D

**[ C i e u x . V e r t s **  
_Green Skies_  
-----  
**Chapter Two:**  
Fort

* * *

**Hiver**  
-----

Christmas hadn't proved to be an excitable one for Severus nor for Lily.

His gifts had been the royal blue fleece blanket he'd eyed in the muggle store the weekend before and a set of books on werewolves, vampires and other magical beings. The latter had to be hidden from his father and were only to be read when he wasn't home or when Severus was outside and away from the easily displeased man who had given his mother an apple-sized bruise for Christmas.

Lily had received a sizable amount of boxes ranging in sizes, colors, textures and shapes but none had been filled with the things she'd slaved writing her Christmas list for. Nonetheless, she was pleased with the movies, dolls, books and various gizmos and gadgets she'd received. Her Magna Doodle, she told herself, would come for her birthday and her Space Hopper would be a 'back to school' gift of grand proportions.

She wasn't worried.

Winter that year, however, was nothing like the previous one. It was shockingly warm, only calling for layered clothing, light coats and a flimsy scarf and hat if you wished to wear one.

Lily and Petunia took advantage at such lovely weather and wandered down to the neighborhood park with small bags of the trinkets they'd received for Christmas. Lily's tools, though naturally intended for gardening, worked well in the freshly-filled sandbox and Petunia's large, mean friend was quite the fan of chopping viciously at the hair of her pretty new dolls with scissors she had nicked from her teacher.

It was a constant pattern with that throughout winter. Together, they'd march towards the park, speaking peaceably about their parents, the gifts they wanted and had received for Christmas and returning back to school in the near future and then, when they'd reach the gate that creaked to alert the empty park of their arrival, they'd go their separate ways to wait for their very different friends.

Petunia would sit on the swing set, push herself back and forth before the large girl would call, "Oh, _Tuney_!" and drag her away to a place Petunia didn't speak to Lily of. She'd come back an hour or more later with broken dolls and a crestfallen face but the next time they arrived at the park, the situation repeated itself all over again. Lily had tried to tell her sister to do otherwise but the girl had snapped at her, telling her to leave her be and to play with her_little_ friend.

Lily would sit beside Nate, the gentle boy she'd met in fall, and help him create castles like none had ever imagined in the cold, hard sand. There was very little talk between the two. He was shy and she was not the type to pressure anyone, least of all him. When they did speak, it would be of her sister and his latest sand creations. Always in awe of what he managed to do with the messy substance, Lily would listen attentively with a look of pure rapture on her face.

It was at one of these moments that Severus found himself peering at her from around the withering bushes of the playground. The leaves were wet and brown against his face but he pressed his body ever further into the brush to catch the pretty redhead at just the right angle. He watched closely as the chubby boy shook his hands wildly in various directions to describe to Lily the way his dog had destroyed the masterpiece he'd created the day before and as Lily moved minutely to miss his waving fists while still smiling brightly at him.

She was too beautiful. Her hair, up in a tight ponytail, was waving slightly in the cool winter breeze and her hands, though covered in grains of sand, were perched under her chin so comfortably that she closely resembled that great works of muggle art he'd seen in the museum the year before. In fact, the only uncomely thing about the entire scene was the boy, Nate, who seemed so wide that he obscured view of the merry-go-round and the gate not far behind him. His hair was sticking up in odd directions and his cheeks were smudged with brown from playing in the sandbox so often.

Severus' nose wrinkled slightly in distaste but he kept his silence as the two played.

It wasn't until darkness drew over the sky like a protective blanket that he rose from his position. The leaves stuck to his hair, skin and clothes but he didn't bother to swipe them away as he trekked quickly through the sandbox, down the stone stairs and prepared to exit through the iron gate. He swung it open, stepped quickly through it and collided with a warm, cushioned body.

The frown formed quickly on his lips as he pushed his body up from the cold concrete he'd landed on. He was in a sour mood after watching the beautiful girl he could only watch from a distance play with an ordinary _muggle_ boy who played with nothing but _sand_.

Said muggle boy gazed at him with shocked and nervous blue eyes. "I-I…My shovel, I...," he stuttered.

Glancing coldly at the boy, Severus turned away from the boy to continue his walk back only gracing him with a snarl, "Then go get your shovel. And watch where you're walking!"

"But you-," Nate started, "You're…"

Severus stopped, only a step away from where he'd been previously and said, "I'm _what_?"

Nate didn't reply immediately. He folded and unfolded his hands as he looked in every other direction but the one Severus was standing in. "You're," he started again, "the boy who- the one who's always…"

"If you can't talk, then I'm not going to waste my time."

"You're the boy who watches Lily all the time! You- you sit in those bushes, past the- in front of the swings!"

Glaring, Severus stalked quickly towards the boy. The two inches he'd gained in height since the year before helped him immensely as he looked down at the fidgeting boy and said, "Tell her and you'll regret it."

"No, no. I- I wasn't going to- I mean, you can…I don't…you can have her!"

Greasy black hair gathered quickly around his face as he lowered it to stare with unadulterated anger at the little boy before him. To treat her as an_object_! As though she belonged to _anyone_!

"I don't," Nate began again, "mind her not being…She can be friends with you, instead. You… You like her a lot."

"What are you-?"

Nate shook his head quickly as he muttered, "Petunia goes with Elisabeth to a house on Spinner's End. It's…there's no one there. Bugs and dirt but… She…Elisabeth she…hides things and makes Petunia sit in the closet and…"

Easing away, Severus stared again at the boy with kinder eyes. He could see that it was not as though he wished to not be Lily's friend but that he was willing to pass up his friendship with her for him. For Severus to take the place of the small space Nate would leave in Lily's life. Nate, with his stutter and his chubby hands, wanted Severus to take care of the bully that made Lily worry for her sister because he couldn't do it himself.

It was almost as if he_knew._

Nodding, Severus turned away again to walk home. This time, he stopped only to say, "Thank you" before continuing on his way.

-----

Nate did not return to the playground again the next day.

Nate did not return to the playground again that week.

Nate did not return to the playground ever again.

-----

Elisabeth was found a day later, wandering down Spinner's End with chopped hair and no true sense of what she was doing. It seemed almost as if she had gone slightly mad over night.

Petunia claimed foul play. Lily said the girl had always seemed a bit off in the head and Severus could only sink further in the bushes to keep back the small bout of laughter that threatened to bubble past his lips.

**Printemps  
-----**

They met for the first time in spring. The leaves of his bush were green and strong as he'd leapt out of them and as he settled into them again after she had run away. The feeling that had settled in his stomach was not one he was unacquainted with. It was the same feeling he experienced when he angered his father or caught a glimpse of a new patch of black and blue on his mother's fair skin.

The disappointment and feeling of failure was there, tightening quickly around his heart and thickening in his muscles, making movement impossible. There was no physical or emotion escape from such a powerful emotion, he knew. It was something that rested and festered beneath the skin of its prisoner, tormenting them with their every breath and moment of life.

Disappointment was the parasite and he was the wounded bird resting sickly on the grime of-.

The leaves of his bush shook causing a few of its branches to slide achingly against his stark white skin. The streaks they'd created burned but the feeling was cast aside as his eyes gathered the sight of thick red hair and verdant green eyes.

"Were you just joking with me?" she asked tightly, her lips forming a straight line against the flushed skin of her face.

Severus stared up at her in shock, the tightening on his heart easing as he grasped desperately in his mind for the appropriate response to her question.

"N-no! No, I'm not. You're a witch, like my mum! You… You were doing magic, earlier! _Real_ magic," he said quietly but with enthusiasm like he'd never shared before. "Magic like grown wizards and witches do. You couldn't be a muggle. You _can't_ be one of them."

The distaste in his voice was poorly hidden and vaguely reminded Lily of the way he'd spat at her sister earlier. The obvious adoration he held for magic didn't carry over to those who didn't possess the ability to create it, it seemed. Momentarily, she wondered if all the wizards and witches he'd spoken of were the same way...

She caught her thoughts and stopped them; bracing her hands on her hips and wondering why in the world she'd choose to believe such a story. It was entirely impossible; and was most likely a ridiculous trick formulated by the older boys down the street, who had teased her for her red hair and chubby body at the neighborhood pool in the summers previous.

"Prove it," she found herself saying with patience.

"How?" the boy asked, leaning forward to pull himself free of the bush and out into the open once more.

"I don't know," Lily responded, easing herself backwards as he pulled himself free of a branch that had caught onto his tattered coat, "Tell me something super secret!"

Severus noted the step back she took and took a step of his own closer to the bush, giving her space. "About the wizarding world?"

"Yes, something only wizards would know."

"…How would you know if it's true or not," he questioned, "I could tell you that your Prime Minister was Grindelwald himself and you wouldn't know if it was true or not."

"Grindel-..."

"Grindelwald," Severus finished matter-of-factly, "he's known as the most dangerous wizard of all time."

"Oh," Lily replied with wide eyes.

"He was defeated by Dumbledore in 1945."

"How do you know all this?" questioned Lily.

Severus sighed and lowered himself to the ground. He sat with his legs crossed, pulling a leaf from his off of his shoulder as he answered, "Chocolate Frog cards have information on great wizards and witches throughout time."

After a moment, Lily lowered herself to sit on the grass as well. Her shorts would have stains on them, she knew, but that was okay. It was worth it, she thought, for the strange boy's stories of evil wizards and chocolate frogs.

"And are they _real_ frogs? The ones you were talking about?"

"No. But, they do jump a lot. You have to be careful when you pull them out of their boxes. My grandmum gave me one once and it hopped off into the kitchen. We couldn't find it once it got in there. I suppose it melted, after a bit…"

Lily smiled brightly, "Jumping candy! Impossible!"

"Not at all," Severus countered, "there are lots of candies that move. My mum told me of these things called ice mice. When you eat them, your teeth squeak and acid pops burn holes through your tongue."

"That's-!"

"It grows back," Severus said, pushing a lock of greasy hair away from his eyes to watch the way her eyes seemed to glow with wonder and excitement at the idea of such treats.

"You'll be able to find them in Diagon Alley or on trips to Hogsmeade Village," said Severus thoughtfully, "I don't know of anywhere else you can find sweetshops, though."

"Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade Village… Are they like the shopping malls?"

Severus shrugged, lifting his lanky shoulders with a look of mild curiosity. "I've never been in a shopping mall," he said, "or to Hogsmeade Village. Hogwarts students go there. My mum said they take trips there on special weekends."

"There's a school? For people who can do magic like your mum?"

"There are a few. Hogwarts is where I'm going. My mum went there with her sisters. But there's Durmstrang somewhere up North and Beauxbatons in France…"

There were dozens of questions boiling brightly in Lily's head, threatening to pass her lips and hold her at the darkening playground all night, listening to the dirty boys stories of magical schools and treats.

She stood up suddenly, pushing her hair away from her face and setting her body straight. Severus looked up at her, the unexpected movements catching his attention.

"Tomorrow," Lily said with a determined tone, "meet me at the end of Spinner's End, where the forest begins at the end of the street."

Confused at her request but more than happy to agree, Severus nodded to show he'd be there waiting for her.

She smiled, turning to run to the iron gate. Her footsteps were heavy in comparison to the park's silence and the pause she took before stepping through the gate resounded just as loudly.

"I'm Lily, by the way," she called back, smiling before continuing on her trip home.

Severus sat still, his hands resting on his knees and his eyes staring fondly at the swinging gate. He'd known her name since the winter previous, yes, but it seemed to mean so much more now that he'd heard it come directly from her pale pink lips…

**Été  
**-----

He stumbled out of the wooded nest he and Lily had created in the early days of spring to glance moodily at the glaring sun. It was a bright, fiery mass in the sky that seemed to follow his every step and push him closer and closer to the edge of exhaustion with every step he took away from the shaded heaven he'd been in before.

To be honest, he regretted the anger he'd felt that had caused the branch to fall. He knew that his emotions fueled his untrained magic and that he anger created especially dangerous situations but it had been so very long since he'd lost control that the idea of something happening to Lily's boney, sneaky, _spying_ older sister wasn't something he'd counted on. She had fueled his anger before and nothing had happened at those times so… why now? Why this time?

He could see the rotting lawn of his house, the curtains drawn shut tightly and the screen door lying dead next to the cracked walkway from the street.

He imagined that it was most likely the idea that she'd found the place that only he and Lily were meant to know of. _She'd_ found _their_ secret and ruined the single thing he shared with the redhead he was so entranced by.

Or maybe it was the idea that she'd heard something that was meant for only Lily's ears. He told her things that he'd never shared with anyone else, spilled his brain through his lips and into her ears on more occasions than he could remember and had shown her the bruises and cuts he'd received while explaining to her that no, they didn't hurt but his mother's were so much worse…

He'd told her all he knew about Hogwarts, brought her Chocolate Frog cards and brought her the books on magical creatures he'd gotten for Christmas. His mother had refreshed his memory about wizarding fairytales and mysteries that he'd told Lily while she lay out silently on the dry Earth of the forest, eyes closed and images flashing wildly behind her eyelids.

Perhaps it was the nervousness that came from the idea that Petunia may tell… That perhaps she'd open her big, fat mouth to Lily's parents and tell them of the dirty boy from Spinner's End who sat in the trash-strewn forest along the dirty river waiting for their beautiful daughter to trip and stumble inside and find him to hear more stories of a world they wouldn't begin to believe existed. They would react as most muggles do: deny the stories, chalk them up to being children's tales and forbid Lily from returning to their secret place ever again.

He's hand gripped the creaking doorknob to his home, turning it sharply before pushing it open to enter the darkness. Leaning down, he untied and removed his battered shoes before tiptoeing to the kitchen where he saw his mother pushing a wooden spoon through a sauce of some sort that simmered in a beaten pan atop their muggle oven.

"I thought we already had a discussion about this heat," she said, not taking her eyes away from the steaming sauce.

Severus nodded, "Yes."

"Is there a reason that you continue to disobey me, even after I've told you so many times that there is no muggle girl worth dying for?"

Shaking his head, Severus lowered himself into a chair beside their tired table. It creaked and wobbled as he leaned his head atop it, showing its old age and instability.

"She's not a muggle, Mum," he said quietly.

She sniffled a laugh as she pulled the spoon from the pan to press it against her lips quickly. Tasting it, she nodded her approval and removed the thick red topping from the heat.

"Not a muggle? Then what is she, Severus? A dog?"

"A witch."

His tone was strict, not appreciating his mother's sense of humor (he hardly approved anyone's sense of humor when it came to Lily), and his eyes hardened as he glared at a crack in the tabletop.

Her cleaned spoon tapped his arm slightly, warning him to watch his tone before she took a seat across from him. Her eyes, just as dark and striking as his own, gazed at him as though trying to find the truth within him. Though she knew Severus to be anything but a child with a hobby of telling lies, the idea of the fair-skinned little muggle girl she'd seen through the cracks between the curtains being a witch seemed absurd.

"Is she, really? How do you know this?"

"I saw it, that day. She tripped on the black ice and should have fallen flat on her face like the rest of the muggles but she… She _floated_. Then, she got right back up and ran back down the street as though it hadn't happened. And! And during spring she jumped from the swing set and didn't just fall back down. She-"

"You've told her, haven't you?"

Severus glanced up, noticing the way her voice tightened and transferred quickly from patient to being annoyed, "Yes."

"She's the reason you've been asking me about Hogwarts and only tales, isn't she?"

"Yes," Severus said again.

"Foolish," she muttered harshly, "and what will you say when she doesn't receive a letter as you will? What will you do, then?"

Shaking her head, she pushed herself away from the table to busy herself at the counter. Her son was silent, once again. He only seemed to find things to say when they involved that girl, somehow. It had been nice to hear his voice every once in awhile but to know the truth now was disappointing and stirred just a bit of anger inside her.

"She won't talk to me ever again, anyway," she heard from behind her, "I got angry and her sister was hurt…"

"You hurt a muggle child!?"

The anger seemed to be _boiling_, now.

"It was an accident. I didn't wish for the branch to fall. She was spying! Trying to-"

"Severus, this girl cannot control you. Stop this nonsense, now! Childhood crushes do not last and I will not allow this to ruin your chances to become something, you understand!?"

He eyes were lived, hardened to onyx gems that glowed in the darkened room and burned a hole through his resolve. His plan had been to deny that he cared at all for Lily, only that he found her to be a pleasant friend and that there was no need to cut all ties with her because the girl most likely hated him now, anyway. But, looking at his mother now, her hair tied up in a messy bun and her clothes tattered and dirty as his own, he could find no strength to deny his mother the single thing she most desired.

"I understand," he said firmly, "I will do my best."

**Automne  
-----**

He'd tried his very best. He didn't return to the forest hideaway, opting to stay home in his room flipping through pages of his book on werewolves and memorizing the ingredients of potions he thought seemed mildly amusing. His mind was never left to wander to thoughts about where she might be, what she might be doing and if she missed him at all.

He'd done everything he could.

In the end, however, it had been she who came to search for him.

His Hogwarts letter had arrived just a week before in a crisp envelope and on heavy parchment was his invitation to become a part of the school his mother had told him of so long ago. In his head, he could see the ancient building she'd described in detail, could outline the passageways he'd take to and from classes and feel the knot that would form in his hand from essays of all sorts.

He did admit to his mother, after dinner when his father had retired drunkenly to bed, that he wondered if Lily had received a letter like he'd thought before. She had glanced at him momentarily before turning back to the thick muggle novel before her.

"I'm sure she'll be on the train if she did get a letter," was her reply before she turned the page signaling to him that she was done with the discussion.

He was wondering again, despite his wish to wonder about anything but, when the tap against the door sounded through the darkened living room.

There had never been a knock on the door of the Snape home.

Severus stilled on the couch, his book on vampires clutched tightly in his hands, as his mother rounded the corner from the kitchen.

"Was that a knock on the door?" she asked, eyeing him questioningly.

He nodded.

She reached forward slowly, releasing the lock on the door and pulling it open with a creek that resounded against the thin walls.

"Hello, I'm looking for Severus…"

Startled, Severus looked up to stare at the cracked doorway. The voice was undeniably Lily's. It hadn't changed at all in the time he'd avoided her and he wondered how he hadn't realized it was her before.

Surprisingly, Severus saw his mother smile mildly at Lily before nodding and saying, "One moment, Lily. I'll go collect him."

The door slid shut with a thick _click_ before silence filled the space between them.

"She has a Hogwarts letter in her pocket," she said quietly, "it seems you were right, Severus."

"Mum, I didn't-"

"She's waiting for you, Severus. It's rude to make a lady wait."

Turning away, she walked slowly back into the kitchen without another word. Though, to Severus, that seemed like just the acceptance he needed.

Slipping his feet into his ragged shoes, he collected the vampire book from the armrest of the couch before sliding quickly through the door. She was sitting on the doorstep, back in his direction, looking silently at the dilapidated homes around them. It was nothing like her street where the lawns were always freshly cut and the children were dressed in pastel colors and clean white shoes.

"I was angry, you know," she said, not bothering to turn to face him, "and it took so much to convince Petunia not to tell mum and dad about you…"

He stood silently, waiting for her to continue. Though he would have liked to give her a response of some sort, what could he say to such a thing? 'I'm sorry' was a plausible idea but apologies were complicated and meant nothing in his mind. They were lies told to convince others to leave the topic alone. 'I'm sorry' meant nothing if he couldn't really mean it.

"But, I went back to the woods the next day to talk to you and you weren't there. The day after you weren't there, either. I went everyday for a week and you never showed up. I got even angrier and thought that you'd been nothing but a liar all along. That you'd told me stories just so you could have a friend."

It stung that she'd realized that he had no one but her. He wondered if she thought he was a freak for his lack of friends, if she'd like him more if he had lots of friends and was popular like the boys he saw her walk to school with.

"Then, I got this letter from Hogwarts and… I wondered if you were all right."

"I'm fine," he said, speaking for the first time.

She nodded, "I'm glad."

There was a moment of silence between them. It wasn't stifling or uncomfortable as silence often was. Instead, it was comforting and sincere. It gave them a moment of peace to realize that perhaps their spat had not been as important as they'd each made it seem. That, maybe, their friendship was stronger than one that could be broken on a whim.

"We'll be going to Diagon Alley this weekend to buy my supplies but I was wondering if you'd be able to come with us… My parents, they'd like to know more."

"I don't know if that would be such a wise idea," Severus said quietly, leaning against the chipping door and remembering his tattered coat and his mothers battered dress.

Lily nodded, standing up and turning to face him with an understanding smile, "You're probably right. Maybe next year…"

"Maybe then, yes."

"I'll see you on September 1st, then?" Lily wondered, waving her Hogwarts letter slightly.

He nodded, once, "Yes, I'll be there."

"We can sit together, then. There's still so much I want to ask you…"

"You have plenty of time," Severus said quietly, glancing past her towards the wooded area they'd claimed as their own, "I'm not going anywhere anytime soon."

"Neither am I," Lily said with a smile before turning with a flicker of red hair and walking bravely down Spinners End; a single beauty in a desolate wasteland.

* * *

**Chapter Notes:  
Chapter Begun:** July 30th, 2007; 4:23 PM  
**Chapter Complete:** March 7th, 2008; 9:56 PM

Young!Severus is a evil little bastard! Okay, not really, but he truly is a hassle to write. He is so much of a hassle, in fact, that this chapter took me more than 6 months to get complete. Thankfully, during those six months, I completed chapters three and four. Now, I only need to edit them a little and have then BETA-ed so they should be up shortly. It will not be another 8 months before you see them, I promise!

I am not incredibly proud of this chapter, to be honest. I'm hoping to make up for it with future chapters especially chapter 4 which I believe is my favorite thus far! Things have started to roll in this one, will shake a little in the next and will finally blast off in four which I think you all will really enjoy. But, enough of chapter four! Chapter two was a ridiculous pain and I am sorry it wasn't worth the wait. However, trust me, I will make it up to you all!

"_-hides things and makes Petunia sit in the closet and…" – _She doesn't do anything extreme to Petunia. It's just the fact that she deserts her in such a scary place. I know that as a child, I was terrified of being alone in places I wasn't used to. I put a little of that in Petunia in this.


End file.
